Recent evidence has shown that the successful setting of goals brings about positive outcomes in psychological therapy. Goals help to focus and direct clients' and therapists' attention in therapeutic work. They also engender hope and help energise clients. No longer are clients victims of their circumstances, but through goal setting they become people who have the potential to act towards and achieve their desired futures. Through the discussing and setting of goals, clients develop a deeper insight into what it is that they really want in life: a crucial first step towards being able to get there. Recent policies in both child and adult mental health services have supported the use of goals in therapy. However, the differing cultures, histories, psychologies, and philosophical assumptions of each form of therapy has brought about varying attitudes and approaches to goal setting. Working with Goals in Counselling and Psychotherapy brings the attitudes of all the major therapeutic orientations together in one volume. With examples from cognitive behaviour therapy, psychodynamic therapy, humanistic therapy, interpersonal therapy, and systemic therapy Working with Goals in Counselling and Psychotherapy truly is the definitive guide for therapists seeking to work with goals in any of the psychological therapies.

Goal Focused Positive Psychotherapy (GFPP) is the first comprehensive approach to strength-oriented therapy that fully incorporates positive psychology principles. This book provides instruction for therapists and students wishing to learn a strength-oriented mindset and the necessary skills. GFPP consists of four hallmarks: (1) formation of approach goals; (2) identification and use of client strengths; (3) promotion of positive emotions and experiences; and (4) building hope. Unique to psychotherapy, the theory of change uses Frederickson's Broaden-and-Build Theory of positive emotions. A three-year study is presented that provides evidence of GFPP's outcome effectiveness and GFPP's superiority in supporting therapists building therapeutic alliances with clients. The book describes the therapeutic techniques and positive psychology interventions including positive empathy, capitalization, best possible self, success-finding, encouragement, self-affirmation, mindfulness, miracle and scaling questions, and self-compassion. The primary emphasis of GFPP is to promote happiness, health, and well-being in clients, in contrast to the emphasis of traditional therapy approaches on problem symptom alleviation. The assumption is that clients who benefit by increasing their well-being will be equipped to address problems in their life that inevitably arise. Training and supervision methods are suggested and a supervision model is provided. The information is integrated and illustrated with a chapter of case examples from four GFPP therapists. Readers learn that client problems are not ignored but balanced with an emphasis on positive issues that use the client's strengths and enhance the client's hope. GFPP will appeal to counseling, clinical, and school psychologists, as well as counselors, marriage and family therapists, social workers, life coaches, and students in all these fields.

Recent evidence has shown that the successful setting of goals brings about positive outcomes in psychological therapy. This book brings together theory, practice and research to give a definitive, practical, and critical guide to working with goals in the psychological therapies.

An in-depth look at a much misunderstood practice, offering a fresh viewpoint on how this science can be a universally effective route to our better selves.

This user-friendly book helps clinicians of any theoretical orientation meet the challenges of evidence-based practice. Presented are tools and strategies for setting clear goals in therapy and tracking progress over the course of treatment, independent of the specific interventions used. A wealth of case examples illustrate how systematic treatment planning can enhance the accountability and efficiency of clinical work and make reporting tasks easier--without taking up too much time. Special features include flowcharts to guide decision making, sample assessment tools, sources for a variety of additional measures, and instructions for graphing client progress. Ideal for busy professionals, the book is also an invaluable text for graduate-level courses and clinical practica.

Psychodynamic therapy is one of the most popular orientations practiced in the world today. It has a growing evidence base, is cost-effective, and may have unique mechanisms of clinical change. However, gaining competence in this approach generally requires extensive training and mastery of a large and complex literature. Integrating clinical theory and research findings, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Techniques provides comprehensive but practical guidance on the main interventions of contemporary psychodynamic practice. Early chapters describe the psychodynamic "stance" and illustrate effective means of identifying and understanding clinical problems. Later, the book describes how to question, clarify, confront, and interpret patient material as well as assess the clinical impacts of interventions. With these foundational tools in place, the book supplements the "classic" psychodynamic therapy techniques with six sets of supportive interventions helpful for lower-functioning patients or those in acute crisis. Complete with step-by-step instructions on how to prepare techniques as well as numerous clinical vignettes to illustrate their use in clinical settings, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Techniques effectively demystifies this important approach to therapy and helps practitioners more effectively apply them to a wide range of patients and problems.